


Behind Blue Eyes

by Glass_Oceans



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Concussions, M/M, Temporary Blindness, minor blood, minor injury
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-09
Updated: 2018-12-09
Packaged: 2019-08-22 07:16:18
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,166
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16593329
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Glass_Oceans/pseuds/Glass_Oceans
Summary: Returning from a mission in neutral space, the shuttle carrying both Kylo Ren and General Hux is shot down, leaving them injured and without communications to the Finalizer.





	Behind Blue Eyes

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ragdoll-hux (sparkinthedark)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sparkinthedark/gifts).



Kylo Ren ducks as the panel beside him fizzles and shatters, sending a shower of sparks over his head. He coughs at the build up of smoke in the corridor, thick and acrid with the smell of burning electronics. He lifts a corner of his cowl over his mouth, trying to keep the worst of it away, but he knows his best option is to exit the shuttle as quickly as possible.

He stumbles, and looking down he can just make out the shape of a stormtrooper, lying awkwardly on their side. From the scorch marks it’s unlikely they’ve survived the impact, but from practiced habit he leans down, his fingers finding the soft skin beneath the lip of the helmet, only to find the skin has already gone cold and still.

Kylo stumbles to the next bulkhead, slapping the door control with his palm. He can hear the tiny motors straining to comply, but the door fails to move. He braces himself and shoves at the door, succeeding in opening it a fraction, barely enough to see through to the room beyond. He braces a second time, brings his strength in the Force to bear too. A searing pain tears through his head and he comes to panting and on his knees, but the door is open enough for him to squeeze through. The air is clearer here, but it won’t be for long with the way the smoke is billowing through the gap behind him. He looks around and registers movement from the corner of his eye.

“Hux?” he calls out, both relieved and chagrined that his co-commander might be the only other survivor.

“Here,” Hux calls.

His voice is rough, likely he has inhaled smoke as well in trying to get back to the cockpit. Kylo moves towards him, away from the exit, to see what is delaying Hux.

“What are you doing?” he asks, looking over Hux’s shoulder to see him tearing at the cockpit controls, pulling away panels already rocked loose.

“Taking measures to make sure we can get off this rock,” Hux mutters, teeth clenched as he exerts himself to pull the last panel free. He rocks back as it releases, his hair coming loose from his pomade and falling over his forehead. “Got it.”

Kylo realises that Hux is strategizing, thinking beyond the moment. Turning back to the cabin behind the cockpit, Kylo pulls open panels until he finds the emergency kits, and wrenches several free.

“We have to get out of here,” he calls as he swings the straps up onto his shoulder.

“Go,” Hux says, stuffing panels and wiring into a repair kit, “I’ll follow.”

Kylo wants to snarl at Hux, demand that he allow him to take the lead in this without giving orders, but he identifies the irrational feeling as the adrenaline coursing through his body, and resolves to leaving their power struggle for another time. Thankfully, the emergency controls on the shuttle door still work, and it swings open on command. The gust of air that comes in renews the efforts of the fire in the shuttle, and Kylo is somewhat calmer when he sees Hux emerge from the smoke to follow him out.

The small planetoid they’ve crashed on is in its night cycle; good for providing cover for their escape, bad for the glowing beacon that is their inflamed shuttle. Kylo steps out, letting his eyes adjust to the low light before making his way towards a raised area of deeper cover. He can hear Hux stumbling in his wake, the ship-bred officer unused to the scramble across rugged ground at night. Kylo turns to snap at Hux, chastise him for his noise and slow pace when he hears it; the high whine of incoming  
fighter engines.

Allowing no room for argument he reaches back to grab Hux’s arm and proceeds to drag him through the brush. If they don’t make cover by the time the X-wings arrive to finish off the shuttle they’ll either be hit by the exploding debris of the shuttle, or worse, be spotted themselves and chased down in an inevitably short pursuit.

They make it to the elevated ground cover, leaves slapping at their hips as they push through. With a curse, Kylo drops one of the kits from his shoulder, a second strap slipping and joining the first in rolling away and quickly being lost under the dark leaves. He reaches for Hux’s shoulder, trying to remove the kit that’s there, but he shies away.

“We need it,” he hisses.

“More than our lives?” Kylo asks, but Hux ignores him, renewing his grip on the tool kit and attempting to push past Kylo.

Kylo rolls his eyes and pushes to the front again. It’s clear that his night vision is superior to Hux’s, and he won’t allow them to be slowed down by the General’s fumbling steps.

The sound of engines are louder now, so loud, Kylo knows it is his discipline that keeps him from letting the fear run riot through his body, removing his sense of self-preservation. With a final effort he pulls Hux into the tree line, both of them flattening their bodies against the trunks to hide themselves as the X-wings scream overhead. Kylo feels the explosion as much as hears it, can feel the heated wind that rushes past their hiding place.

When the fighter passes, Kylo risks taking a look out. The fireball from the initial volley of shots is dying down, the cloud of smoke still rising. If anyone had still been alive in there, they’re dead now. He can spy the glowing engines of the X-wings in the distance, but knows they’ll likely come back for another pass. He looks across to Hux, to see if the other man is in agreement with him, and frowns when he notices Hux’s face is downcast, not looking at the explosion. Kylo maintains his place as the X-wings make their predicted second pass, then crosses to the tree Hux is sheltered behind.

“We need to get out of here,” Kylo says. “They might decide to deploy ground troops to look for survivors.”

Hux nods, but his face is still turned away.

“They blew up the shuttle,” he says.

Kylo’s frown deepens. Hux’s statement was very nearly a question.

“Yes,” he says, then, impatient, “what’s wrong?”

Hux raises his face to Kylo then and in the dying light of their shuttle, Kylo can see that Hux’s pupils are dilated and fixed, not responding to the shuttle fire or the darkness of their cover.

“I can’t see.”

Kylo reaches out, slowly, but Hux doesn't react as Kylo's hand draws near. His eyes still move, but Hux shows no awareness of his nearness.

"We need to keep moving," Kylo says, a sinking sensation in his gut at the thought of having to drag an injured and useless officer with him.

"I know," Hux replies, and Kylo could almost respect the determination in his voice.

Grabbing Hux's sleeve, Kylo turns and picks his way through the trees. The foliage here is thick and low and they quickly leave the dying light of the shuttle explosion behind them. Their progress is slow, and Kylo can't blame it entirely on Hux. In trying to pick his way across unfamiliar ground without even the help of a natural satellite, he stumbles as much as he moves forward, cursing at the noise he knows he must be making.

When he makes out what looks like an natural rock outcropping, he angles them towards that instead, thinking they might be better off resting for a short while. The outcropping turns out to have many natural, shallow caves, places that would be ideal for predators, though in the brief examination that Kylo gives them before they pick one to rest within, he can find no trace of shedding or spoor.

Hux reaches out to feel the cave wall behind him, slowly sliding down it until he is sitting on the cave floor, resting his bag between his spread legs. He rests his hands on it protectively, and Kylo scowls at it again, wondering if it was really worth the delay Hux caused them in retrieving it. Kylo crouches at the opposite mouth of the cave, swinging the remaining emergency kit from his shoulder. He opens it, pawing through the contents to assess what they have; a couple of canteens of water, purification tablets should they find a natural source to replenish their supply, plenty of nutrient bars, tasteless but sufficient to sustain them for a couple days at least, seeing as they'll have to share this meagre supply. Some basic first aid, fire starters, and a myriad other things Kylo supposes may come in useful at some point.

Kylo unwraps one of the bars, breaks it in half and holds it out for Hux to take. Only to sigh when Hux doesn't reach forward for it, as much at his own forgetting as Hux's disability. He grabs Hux's hand roughly, twisting his palm upwards even as Hux startles and fights his grip. He calms when he feels the hard edges of the nutrition bar pressed into his palm, gripping it just enough to prevent it falling to the cave floor as Kylo withdraws.

They eat in silence, their attention turned to the tree line beyond the cave mouth, expecting that at any moment the troops that shot them down will emerge, bringing to an end their brief escape. The woods remain quiet, only a small breeze disturbing the higher leaves. Kylo puts the empty wrapper back into the kit bag, settling down on the cave floor to relax a little more. Hux is still sitting with hands on his bag, though he's made no attempt to open it. Kylo watches him, taking advantage or this rare opportunity to observe the General without being watched in return.

"We can't set a watch," Hux says quietly, startling Kylo from his thoughts. He pulls himself upright, wondering if Hux has somehow figured him out, despite being unable to see.

"What?"

"You need to rest, to preserve your strength," Hux continues, giving no indication he was aware of Kylo's thoughts, "and I can't see, so I would be no good on watch," he says, smiling bitterly.

Kylo blinks at Hux, then turns his head out to the dark tree line again. Even now they could be being followed, even by a droid tasked only with tracking their location, and they could be caught unaware. Raising his hand, Kylo reaches out his other senses-

He grunts as he holds his hands to his head, the lance of pain that had shot through his temples fading as quickly as it had come.

"What's wrong?" Hux asks, sitting away from the rock, one hand going to the pistol he even now wears as his hip.

Kylo wipes his hand across his face, looking at the small smear of red on his gloves.

"It seems you're not the only one injured," Kylo replies, wiping his glove against his trousers, "and we are at more of a disadvantage than we realised."

Hux has nothing to add, and Kylo is grateful for his silence. He doesn't appreciate being made to feel vulnerable, without an ability that has come as natural to him as breathing since before he was born.

They spend a fitful night, both of them drifting off in turns, sometimes together, as the crash takes its toll on their bodies. They wake as the sky begins to lighten, and without the threat of blasters in their faces. Kylo offers the water canteen to Hux, moving the bottle to his hand with less impatience this time, and does likewise with another half ration bar. Meager meal complete, Kylo rises, waiting while Hux rises also, securing his bag on his back.

“How is your sight?”

“Was it miraculously restored during the night you mean? No, I’m afraid I’m still blind.”

Kylo grimaces. Under these conditions he can’t afford to leave Hux behind. He might be found by the Resistance before Kylo himself can find help. 

“You better be able to keep up,” he grunts. "Do we really need to bring that?"

"You'll be grateful for it later."

Kylo snorts. Any direction seems almost as good as another in this early light, and Kylo only knows for sure that they need to move further away from the shuttle, and can clearly see the path they took hours previous. Turning away from the crash site, he takes Hux's hand, guiding it to grip the belt at his back. Invalid and resentment in tow, Kylo sets out.

Kylo has never had a particularly high opinion of First Order officers, considering them coddled and fragile, kept hidden and clear away from the battlefield that Kylo doesn't hesitate to walk onto with his troopers beside him. Hux, then, surprises him not only with a lack of complaining but also how quickly he adapts to the pace Kylo sets, learning to adjust his stance so he moves with him and makes the going easier for both of them. He is still winded when they stop to rest, sharing water again, but he remains silent when Kylo makes them stand again to continue.

Kylo has kept them in sight of the rock outcropping as they've continued, for lack of any other orientation point in the thickness of the foliage here. The rock rises higher as they continue, and he thinks maybe it's lucky that they landed where they had; if they'd hit the rocks, they would have completed the Resistance's job for them. As he’d hoped, the caves in the rock face become deeper as they continue, some strange factor of formation that leaves large bubbles that they can easily take shelter in.

They find a suitable opening as the light starts to fade, Kylo leading them deep into the opening so they can risk a fire where the light won't be observed from outside.

"We're stopping?" Hux asks as he feels the terrain shift under his boots from soft loam to smooth rock. "So soon?"

"It's getting dark out," Kylo replies.

Hux removes his hand from Kylo's belt, feeling his way along the wall for a suitable place to sit. Kylo drops his ration bag, digging through it until he find both a light stick and a fire starter. He puts them both in his pocket as he goes to the cave entrance again, retrieving what fallen sticks and dry leaves he can add to feed their fire for as long as possible. Most of what he finds is damp though he's seen no evidence of rain yet, which is a concern for their water supply.

Returning to the cave, he sees Hux sitting is his usual position, bag between his legs, but this time he has the bag open and is slowly sorting through the tools by feel. Kylo cracks the light stick, shaking the chemical mixture inside until it emits a steady blue glow. Hux's head turns at the noise, before he goes back to his sorting.

"That won't help me," he says.

Kylo looks up to snap at him, but his response dies when he sees the ghost of a smile on Hux's face. Well now. He didn't think Hux even had a sense of humour.

"Well, it'll help me," he responds. "I like to see what I'm doing."

Hux snorts at his emphasis, and Kylo sets to making the fire, bundling up the leaf litter before cracking the fire starter over the pile. The chemical accelerant takes hold quickly, spreading through the litter until Kylo is happy with the emitted heat.

"Are we to have a cooked meal this evening?"

"We are to tend to our wounds this evening," Kylo replies, removing the med kit.

It doesn't contain much that will help Hux, but he knows from his own basic training that Hux's eyes should be covered against any further damage. He sets one of the water canteens, open, beside the fire, heating the water so it can be used for cleaning. With all the tasks he can accomplish in progress, Kylo settles into a crouch and again watches Hux.

He has a line of tools set out along one leg, each orientated with the grip to the outside, ready to be picked up and used. In his hands, Hux is feeling along one of the panels he removed from the shuttle, checking for damage. Despite being blind, he removes the intact components with a dexterity that impresses Kylo, discarding the damaged pieces to a growing pile to his other side.

When steam starts rising from the canteen, Kylo reaches out and gently lays a hand over Hux's. Hux lifts his head almost looking at him, waiting for his instruction.

"You first," Kylo says, and with a ill-mannered sigh, Hux carefully lifts the bag away from where its contents might be splashed and ruined.

"This isn't necessary," Hux complains as Kylo damps a cloth and wipes away the heavy blood from Hux's head, checking for any obvious wounds or shrapnel. "I need a fully stocked med bay and droids to heal me."

"I'm insulted that you don't care for my ministrations," Kylo replies with a smile, biting his lip when Hux's eyebrows draw down in his customary frown, for all that it's not quite directed at Kylo. The intention is there at least.

Hux's mouth twists with annoyance as Kylo begins to wind the bandage around his eyes, though it eases off as Kylo ties it. He may not like it, but he can recognise the necessity of the action. Kylo settles back on the other side of the fire to tend to himself, pleased to find that at least he has not bled again. Though granted he has not tried to use the Force again either.

Hux is already back to sorting through his equipment, down to the last of the panels he had removed. Kylo watches him as he takes out another ration bar, breaking it in half and holding it ready for when Hux looks likely to pause in his task.

"Hmm," Hux mutters as he takes the bar from Kylo, "cold."

"I can wrap it in leaves and toast it in the coals if you'd like?"

"So my options," Hux says, head hanging as if reviewing the tools in his lap, "are cold ration bar or burnt charcoal? Tough choice."

Kylo snorted as Hux consumed his bar, quickly, like he feared Kylo making good on his threat to burn the thing.

"What are you trying to do?" Kylo asks. 

"Repairing the comm," Hux said, tutting with frustration as a small wire slipped from his fingers.

"You can do that?"

"I have enough components here that I could build a new one if we needed it," Hux replied, retrieving the wire. "But the shuttle comm wasn't as badly damaged as I thought, so I may as well work on that."

Hux curses as the wire falls again, and Kylo creeps forward, crouching in front of him.

"Let me help."

"And what do you know about technology?" Hux asks, temper short as he attempts to fix the wire for the third time.

"Next to nothing if it doesn't have an engine attached," Kylo admitted, lifting the circuit and wire from Hux's unresisting fingers. "But you know everything. So tell me what to do."

Kylo watched with amusement as Hux battled against the compliment given and the desire to chastise Kylo for his assumptions.

"Very well," he says at last, sounding annoyed to be accepting help.

Kylo fixes the small wire in place, and hands the joined pieces back to Hux. Hux inspects it, holding it out as he instructs Kylo on the two remaining join points on the panel, and where he needs to attach wires. They make quick work of it, Hux's instructions clear and Kylo's assembly flawless. They talk little apart from the lessons Hux gives, but Kylo finds a pleasant kind of peace working here with Hux, heads bent together to create this small space between them. As quickly as the comm is coming together, he finds himself wishing it could go on for just a little longer. He could become used to this kind of shared task, and somehow doesn't think it's likely to be found back on board the Finalizer.

In the end, it isn't the end of the task that stops them, but a sudden, searing pain in his backside. He surges upright, spinning around to find the source of the danger, when he hears Hux chuckling behind him.

"We're being attacked, and you find it funny?"

Hux is grinning wide when he answers.

"Kylo, I know what a singed uniform smells like."

Kylo feels himself flush, turning away from Hux even though the man can't see him.

"You were crouching over the fire, weren't you."

He ought to be offended, pride injured, but the humour in Hux's voice is infectious. After another moment, his shoulders relax, and he huffs out a laugh too.

"I might have been," Kylo admits.

Hux chuckles again, and begins to gather up the tools. Kylo takes it as a cue to douse the fire, not wanting to leave it burning while there's risk of them both falling asleep. They can't afford to lose any of the rations, or, Kylo now admits, the kit that Hux is carrying.

He settles against the back wall of the cave, pulling his cowl over his head as he wraps his arms around his legs. Hux is stretching out of the floor of the cave, using a corner of the kit bag as a pillow, his back to the dregs of the fire. Kylo falls into a meditation, not yet ready to succumb to sleep and he's not sure how much time has passed when something draws his attention.

His first thought is that of an intruder, either rebel or natural predator, but nothing darkens the cave mouth. It takes him a moment to realise that the sound is that of Hux shivering, his uniform making tiny rustling sounds as he curls around himself. While Kylo had been wearing most of his robes as he usually did, Hux hadn't been wearing his greatcoat when the shuttle had crashed, and now, in the night cycle of this planetoid, and lying on the bare stone floor of the cave, his ship's uniform is little protection against the cold.

Kylo shifts, moving across the cave floor until he is behind Hux, then stretches himself out behind him. He feels the moment when Hux awakens and stiffens at finding Kylo so close, but he spares them both the embarrassment of asking what he is doing. Kylo shuffles forward until Hux's back is pressed against his chest, and makes a pillow of one arm under his head, the other lying lightly against this side. Hux's shivering slowly subsides, his body relaxing in the furnace heat that Kylo always seems to give off. His breathing slows and evens as he falls asleep, and soon Kylo joins him.

After far too few hours, Kylo begins to wake again, feeling muzzy headed and disoriented. The faintest of light is beginning to light the mouth of the cave, though it hasn't yet penetrated to where he lies. He is beginning to suspect that this planetoid has a rapid day-night cycle, it's night cycle far shorter than the hours he usually rests for. He shifts, and is surprised to find his arms caught against moving, wrapped around another warm body. He lowers his face to the back of the head in front of him, inhaling a scent that is sweat and smoke, pleasant to his senses. His body reacts to the scent, making him draw closer, making him seek a friction by drawing his hips against the other, Kylo groans low as he feels the other's hips hitch back against him.

Kylo tightens his arms, drawing the other back as he ruts against them again. He is growing harder in his pants, and he frees one arm to slide it down the body still held against him, seeking an answering response. The other not only responds, but his hips move forward into Kylo's hand as he presses against the front of his trousers. Kylo grinds the heels of his hand down as he drops lips to mouth at the neck of the other to taste the smoke, the sweat, the desire-

"Kylo."

Hux's voice is thick with sleep and something else. But it serves to shock Kylo fully awake, opening his eyes to find enough light to see the dark red strands of hair in front of his face.

"This is a bad idea," Hux continues.

Kylo removes his hand from Hux's crotch, rolling away from him until his back is on the floor, freeing Hux to move. Hux shuffles to a sitting position, adjusting his jodhpurs as he does. Kylo closes his eyes, concentrating on his breathing until he has calmed himself. He holds the calm of the meditation around him as he opens his eyes, standing to scatter the ashes of the fire with one heel, picking up the ration bag and only looking back when he hears Hux swing his bag onto his back.

Hux reaches out, only the smallest hesitation in the gesture. Kylo takes his hand, guiding it once again to its place on his belt, and leads him on.

That day as they make progress, they find evidence of the team that is attempting to track them down, though it is Hux, not Kylo that hears them. Kylo, focusing only on making progress along the rock face, leaving as little trail as possible, came to an abrupt halt when Hux tugged on his belt, himself already stopped and head cocked as he listened. Kylo stood still also, listening to the rustle of leaves... his own breathing... and there!

Hux had already released his belt, crouching down as Kylo hurried in the direction of the noise. He unclipped his lightsaber as he went, though he hadn't attempted to use it since his last attempt to summon the Force. To use it now would be a risk, but one they needed to take.

The click sounded again, distinctly mechanical sounds on this densely wooded planet, and Kylo pauses, waiting. He shifts his weight, triggering the mechanism and lashes out with his saber as a small droid flew from cover, slicing it neatly in half as it encounters the saber. If falls to the ground in two pieces, Kylo already recognising it from what little he'd seen. It was an older style reconnaissance droid, one that could be left to provide surveillance of a given area to be picked up on a return journey if it wasn't triggered, and to send out a signal if it was. Kylo had triggered it deliberately to disable it, but it indicated something that they hadn't predicted.

The Resistance, clearly not suspecting that their progress was hampered by injury had already passed them by, possibly travelling themselves by night, hoping to catch Hux and Kylo unawares. And that this droid was on their route back. If they were lucky, then the Resistance had only enough troops for one band of soldiers, and they were already ahead of himself and Hux. If they were unlucky, which was far more likely, they had two lines of troops flushing the jungle, one ahead and one behind and the noose was already drawing tight around them. 

Kylo turned off his saber, and returned to Hux’s position. He found him only a little removed from where they’d separated, his blaster drawn and head cocked to listen as Kylo approached. Kylo smiled at the image; he didn’t doubt that Hux might get off a series of rapid shots, some of which might come close to him, but not enough to damage him. A vine gave way under his foot, the wet pop muffled by the sole of his boot, but he noted how Hux’s head turned in that direction, the barrel of his blaster coming to bear. 

“It’s just me,” he called low, so his voice wouldn’t carry. 

Hux pointed the weapon to the ground, but his stance didn’t relax. 

“Report?”

Kylo bristled to be talked to like one of Hux’s troopers. He was no subordinate to this man, obliged to give him information. He-

“Resistance have passed us by,” he said, swallowing his pride. “They’re making better time than us.”

Hux nodded, and only then did he sheath his blaster, freeing his hand and lifting it out to catch hold of Ren’s belt. 

“Do we double back or risk catching up behind them?”

Kylo guided Hux’s hand to its usual position, then looked out both ways from their night’s shelter. All this was so much easier if he could use the Force. He reached for it tentatively, wincing back when he felt the lancing pain building behind his eyes almost immediately in response. 

“How much longer is it going to take to get us a functional comm?”

Hux was silent as he considered. 

“One night. Maybe two.”

“Then we keep going,” Kylo said, turning to move further away from the crash site. “And let them think we doubled back.”

They didn’t travel for long before they picked another cave, opting for rest and building the comm rather than any meaningless physical distance they could achieve. Kylo was painfully aware that the emergency kit bag was growing lighter, their rations becoming drastically low. Neither of them would do well with the tasks they had to manage if they had to survive on foraging alone. 

But still, he appreciated the routine they fell into as they settled against the stone wall. Hux gathered and set out the tools while Kylo broke another ration bar in half, offering Hux the half with the wrapper still in place so he could prevent crumbs falling onto his electronic components. Sparse meal consumed,, Kylo knelt in front of Hux, knees almost touching as they picked up from the previous night’s repairs. And when time came to rest, Hux didn’t say a word when Kylo lay out behind him. Without even the small fire they’d had previously, the nights were bitterly cold, and Kylo found himself glad of the comfort. 

“Things aren’t looking good for us, are they?”

Kylo blinked at the back of Hux’s head, barely awake. 

“And good morning to you too,” he rumbled. 

Hux’s head was pillowed on his own outstretched arm, his back pressed against Kylo’s chest. 

“I know the contents of a ration kit Ren. I know how low our supplies are.”  
Kylo sighed as he realised Hux had seen through his attempt to conceal the fact that their supplies were all but gone. 

“That won’t matter once we have the comm repaired,” Kylo said, resting a hand on Hux’s shoulder, squeezing it lightly to try and reassure him. 

Hux was silent, but Kylo could feel the tension in his body, knew that even if he could see, he was staring at some place inside his mind as he tried to work something out. 

“Perhaps we shouldn’t move today, just try to complete the comm.”

“Oh?” 

Kylo rolled onto his back as Hux became restless with movement, giving him space to get up. But rather than rise, Hux rolled over against Kylo’s chest, hands lifted as he began to gesture. 

“You say we don’t know where the Resistance troops are, behind us, ahead, possibly both, yes?”

“Yes.”

“And we are out of rations, down to crumbs and water?”

“Yeah.”

“So where’s the advantage in moving?”

Kylo stared at the now grimy bandage that wrapped Hux’s eyes, imaging the intensity of the stare Hux would usually give. 

“So we should get to work?”

“Yes!” Hux said, sitting up and starting to feel around himself for the tool kit. 

Kylo felt the loss of his body and heat keenly, wishing he could have had another moment with Hux curled against him. Instead he reached out and pulled the bag into Hux’s range, and watched as Hux set out their work wearing a determined expression 

When the pieces were ready, Kylo dragged himself to sitting, pulling himself around to sit beside Hux so as not to block what little light was filtering into their shelter. Hux said nothing to the change in routine, but Kylo noticed as Hux began to very slightly lean against him as they worked. His arm and leg felt warm where Hux was making contact with him, his instructions just quiet whispers between them. 

After some time, Kylo fixed the last screw as per instruction, handing the whole comm back to Hux. 

“That’s it.”

“And now for everything,” Hux muttered, before pressing the call button. 

Kylo almost sagged with relief as he saw the button light up. It had power at least. 

“We should probably go outside to make the call,” Hux said, climbing to his feet. “Don’t want to waste charge trying to send a signal through solid rock.”

Kylo followed him outside, lightsaber in hand. There was no noise outside the cavern, even the gentle wind had died down, the leaves silent. Surely, he thought, it would be easy to hear any of the Resistance fighters sneaking up on them now? All the same, he guided Hux to a partially sheltered area, somewhere that gave them a better chance of defense if someone decided it was better to not have them make their call. 

“Finalizer, this is General Hux on emergency channel. Respond.”

The comm crackled though Kylo didn’t dare turn around to check the status of it. 

“Finalizer, this is-”

“General Hux, this is Chief Petty Officer Unamo. We have locked onto your signal and stormtroopers have been dispatched to your location.”

The wait isn’t long after that, but neither lets their guard down until they hear the scream of TIE fighter engines, the ships coming in low over the foliage and ripping away the cover under a hail of bullets. They pass by once more before the stormtrooper ships move into the clearing created, the soldiers fanning out to provide cover as Hux and Kylo are escorted into the shuttle. 

There’s no med droid on board, merely soldiers who stand to one side allowing their General and their Knight to sit gratefully on the minimally padded seats, accepting the canteens of water that come with the knowledge that they no longer have to be rationed. 

Their arrival on the Finalizer is another matter entirely. Medics rush onto the shuttle before there is properly space for them, giving them both cursory examinations as is usual for triage, as if the whole of the med bay won’t be dedicated to their aid and recovery. 

Though Hux walks willing to the antigrav trolley they have waiting for him, Kylo can feel the resentment at being treated this way rolling from him even without reaching out for it. He half smiles at the emotions roiling from him, while also feeling a twinge of something he can’t name as he sees Hux being pushed away. This is the first time he’s been separated from him in days, and it feels wrong to be away from him, even here in the safety of their own ship. He muses on the feeling as he is escorted away in turn, and doesn’t think to wonder on the feeling of relief when he is brought to a semi-private room, the only other occupant being the person whose presence he just left. 

Hux is sitting on the edge of the medbay bed as a droid carefully removes the bandages Kylo had put in place. He watches as the droid cleans away the last of the flaking blood from the skin around his eyes, waving away the med droid hovering close by to start seeing to Kylo’s own injuries. It’s only when Hux is asked to lay back on the bed so his treatment can begin that Kylo also turns away, and allows his own treatment to begin. 

They’re left alone in the darkened room for their therapies to have their effect. Kylo tries to slip into meditation with the firm mattress beneath him, but his hands keep twitching of their own accord, feeling empty though his lightsaber is, as ever, still nearby. With a huff, he throws down his blanket and rolls over, though he can discern little in the low light of the room. 

“I feel it too.”

Hux’s voice is almost a surprise as it drifts from the darkness, and Kylo adjusts his head on the pillow to face where he lies, even if he can’t see him. 

“It feels like we should still be working on the comm, doesn’t it?”

Kylo feels his lips twitch. “It does.”

“The medics told me I’m not to even attempt looking at anything until they give their say so-”

“So you’re the reason we’re locked in the dark?”

Hux ignored the jibe as he continued. “But I could always order a junior mechanic kit if you wanted to build something?”

Kylo laughed then, rolling back on the bed, and after a moment he heard Hux’s quiet chuckle. 

“I’m not sure I’m quite that bored.”

“Oh well,” Hux said, and Kylo could hear the smile in his voice. “Suit yourself.”

Sleep comes easier after that, and Kylo only awakes when there are again med droids hovering about Hux’s bed. He sits up to watch them work. The bandages have already been removed, and they appear to be conducting a series of tests to check Hux’s eyesight. He sighs with relief when they finally step back, allowing him to slip from the bed with a fresh set of civvies draped over his arm. 

“It seems there was no lasting damage, thanks to your help,” he says, eyes focused on smoothing the fabric over his arm. 

“Shame.”

Hux’s eyes snap up, his brows already drawing down before he sees the smile on Kylo’s face. He shakes his head as Kylo laughs at him. 

“I never thought I’d be glad to see that glare again.”

“Yes, well,” Hux says as he disappears behind a screen to change, “I can assure you there will be plenty more directed your way in the future.”

When Hux emerges he hesitates, though there’s nothing more to say. Finally he lifts his head, nods to Kylo once and leaves. Kylo imagines he’s gone to his quarters to freshen up, and to catch up on some work. Another person might allow themselves to get some rest, to recover after an ordeal like this. But Kylo knew that Hux would be convinced that the ship had started falling apart in his absence and would not be satisfied that all was in order until he had personally reviewed all of the logs. 

Kylo’s own discharge came shortly afterwards. The medics had treated his concussion as best they could, but there was no such thing as a doctor who could treat maladies of the Force. For that he would have to consult with his Master, to ensure his abilities had not been compromised. So when he left the med bay, it was to go directly to commune with his Master before any personal matters could be attended to. 

Thus they both returned to their usual routines; Kylo in returning to his studies and training, and Hux in care of his ship and the management of the First Order. They had no cause to meet except for their usual officers tactical meetings, but Kylo wished he could find a reason to do so. When their eyes met at these meetings, Hux gave a ghost of a smile, something for Kylo’s eyes only, a moment shared for the time they had survived together. 

And that’s what gave Kylo the idea. He started by reviewing the mission report from their rescue, confirming that the troopers had recovered everything that had been left behind on the planetoid, including the charred remains of the shuttle. He requisitioned the remains, ordered them displayed in one of the empty hangers and picked through debris until he had what he needed. He wrapped the pieces in a simple black cloth, and carried them directly to Hux’s door. 

Kylo used the the door comm at Hux’s quarters, waiting for an answer rather than barging in as he was prone to. The door opened, and he found Hux sitting on his couch, datapad in one hand and cup of tea in another. He seemed surprised to see Kylo, but pleased too. 

“Ren,” he said, placing the datapad down, “to what do I owe the pleasure?”

“I… brought something for you,” Kylo said, holding out the gift, feeling foolish in the moment. 

Hux stood to take it from him, and remained there in front of Kylo as he peeled back the cloth. Slowly he revealed the tools he- that they had used to fix the comm. He looked down at them, and Kylo could tell he was struggling not to smile. 

“And what do I need these for?”

Kylo shrugged, deliberately not meeting Hux’s eye. 

“There might be more things that need fixing,” he suggested. 

“Uh-huh,” said Hux, now turning away to retrieve something from his desk. “I have something for you too actually.”

“Oh?”

Kylo took the box from Hux and nearly choked. The box was brightly decorated, young cadets in uniform showing almost unrealistic levels of joy and excitement as they assembled a circuit board on the lid of the Beginners Technology Kit. When Kylo looked back up, Hux was leaning against his desk and was losing the battle not to grin. 

“I thought it might be useful if you knew a little more about tech systems, should we ever be stranded again.”

“And you plan on our being stranded again?” Kylo said, shaking the box to hear the metal components rattle. 

“Not the stranding part,” Hux replied, grinning openly now, “but the being prepared part.”

“Well, thank you. I guess I should start on this right away,” Kylo said. 

He felt awkward with Hux’s gift in his hands and his own delivered. He had no other reason to stay and couldn’t think of anything to say. Kylo turned to leave when Hux spoke again. 

“Or you could stay,” he said. 

When Kylo turned around, Hux had coloured slightly, and waved his hand towards the rescued tool kit on the table. 

“We could work on it together, using these tools.”

“Is that a good idea?” Kylo asked quietly. 

Hux hung his head for a moment. 

“Before,” he said, “we were both injured. It might have only made things worse.”

“And now?”

“Now,” Hux said, looking up at him again, “we’ve both been given a clean bill of health, both returned to active duty.”

Kylo waited, feeling the weight of words that Hux had yet to speak. 

“And I’d like it very much if you stayed.”

Kylo smiled. 

“Then I’ll stay.”

**Author's Note:**

> This is my fill for the Kylux Secret Santa 2018. I had so much fun writing this, I hope you enjoy it!
> 
> A big thank you to [pangolinpirate](https://pangolinpirate.tumblr.com/) who beta'd this fic for me.


End file.
